Isolates Of Candida Spp Research Articles

The influence of a composition based on exometabolites of Saccharomyces boulardii in relation to the pathogenic and persistent properties of fungi of the genus Candida

Clinical manifestations of mycoses vary widely from mild mucosal damage to severe invasive forms. Currently, the pharmaceutical market offers a wide range of antimycotic drugs, including oral and injectable drugs for systemic and external and local use. Varying degrees of effectiveness are due to the chemical structure and pharmacokinetics. A significant problem is the recurrence of mucosal candidiasis. One of the possible solutions to this problem can be considered the use of exometabolites of bacterial or fungal origin, affecting the morphofunctional structures of fungi of the genus Candida spp. The purpose of the study was to obtain cell-free supernatant of Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) and herbal extracts, which are the basis of a composition with a preventive effect against fungi of the genus Candida. The authors proposed a composition based on the exometabolite of S. boulardii and herbal extracts for the prevention of candidiasis. Propylene glycol served as a control. The effectiveness of the composition was assessed on clinical isolates of C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. krusei isolated from the vaginal biotope at a dilution of 103-106 CFU/mL. At the first stage, we studied the effect of S. boulardii metabolites on the biological properties of fungi. Next, the fungicidal activity of metabolites and extracts was determined by serial dilution against micromycete isolates. At the final stage, the effect of the composition with the most effective extracts was studied. Under the influence of the supernatant of S. boulardii, micromycetes lost the ability to form growth tubes, and a decrease in the catalase activity of Candida spp. was observed both during carriage and disease. Exometabolites significantly reduced the ability to form film in cultures isolated from patients with vaginal candidiasis. The most effective among the extracts were the extracts of St. John’s wort and coriander. The fungicidal properties of the composition were maintained for 12 hours after co-incubation with all isolates of Candida spp. Thus, the composition is effective against both C. albicans and C. non-albicans carriage and disease.

Creation of a Multi-Year Pediatric Candidemia Antibiogram in Georgia Identifies Changing Epidemiology and Resistance Trends

Background: Invasive candidiasis, including candidemia, is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in medically complex and immunocompromised children. Understanding the epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility patterns of Candida infections could help guide empiric antifungal therapy. Methods: This fungal antibiogram was created at a large quaternary children’s health system in Georgia. Blood isolates positive for Candida spp. from 2019 through 2023 were included. The number and percentage of isolates for each Candida spp was recorded by year and then as the combined 5-year total. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) antifungal interpretative criteria were used, and we only included one unique Candida spp isolate per patient. Due to the limited number of isolates, the combined 5 years of isolates were used to create the fungal antibiogram. Data are shown as percent susceptible using CLSI interpretative criteria and number of isolates. Results: Between 2019 and 2023 there were 124 unique blood isolates of Candida spp identified. The most common isolates were C. albicans (33%), C. parapsilosis (27%), C. glabrata (14%) and C. tropicalis (11%). Over the 5 years of the study, the percentage of C. albicans isolates decreased from 47% to 21%. The change in epidemiology was not driven by a single Candida species but varied from year to year. For C. albicans, susceptibility was 100% for fluconazole and micafungin. For C. parapsilosis, susceptibility to fluconazole and micafungin was 97% and 94%, respectively. Fluconazole susceptibility was lowest for C. glabrata (88%) and C. krusei (0%). Using CLSI epidemiological cutoff values (ECV) to evaluate the amphotericin B results, none of the isolates had results greater than the CLSI ECVs. Comparing 2019 and 2023, the percentage of Candida blood isolates resistant to fluconazole increased from 5% to 18.5%. Conclusion: C. albicans was the most frequently identified cause of candidemia in children, but there was a gradual increase in fungemia caused by other Candida spp. over the past 5 years including Candida with fluconazole resistance. Overall, our findings demonstrate high susceptibility rates to fluconazole and echinocandins in Candida spp. blood isolates. Further research is needed to identify risk factors for antifungal resistant candidemia in pediatric patients.Disclosure: Mark Gonzalez: Honoria for a one time consulation with NaviDx consulting in May of 2022. Honoria from the American Society for Microbiology for writing of a chapter in the Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook.

Invitro Antifungal Activity of Ziziphusmauritiana Extraction Against Clinical Isolates of Candida Spp at Khartoum State, 2021

experimental biomedical study was carried out at Omdurman Maternal Hospital, Saudi Maternal Hospital and AlzaiemAlazhari University during the period from September to December 2021. 30 Candida species, of them 17 isolated from urine samples and 13 from vaginal swabs were included in this study. Antifungal activity was performed usingcup plate method using different concentrations of plant extraction (100%, 50% and 25%) and fluconazole(10μg). The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. Results: the results showed significant increase in antifungal activity with increase in Ziziphusmauritianaconcentration, while fluconazole showed best antifungal activity.However, the fungicidal concentration showed that Ziziphusmauritiana methanol extracts was able to inhibit Candia SPPs rather than C. albicans.

Antifungal resistance in Candida spp within the intra-abdominal cavity: study of resistance acquisition in patients with serial isolates

ObjectivesAntifungal susceptibility testing is mostly conducted on blood-cultured Candida spp isolates. Because the intra-abdominal cavity has been highlighted as a hidden echinocandin-resistant C. glabrata reservoir, we assessed whether testing sequential isolates from a given patient might increase the chances of detecting antifungal resistance. MethodsIntra-abdominal initial and sequential isolates from the same species from patients included in the CANDIdaemia in MADrid study (January 2019 to June 2022) were studied. We assessed antifungal susceptibility to amphotericin B, azoles, anidulafungin, micafungin, and ibrexafungerp using European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) methodology and molecularly characterized resistant isolates. ResultsWe collected 308 isolates (C. albicans [n = 179/308; 58.1%], C. glabrata [n = 101/308; 32.8%], C. tropicalis [n = 17/308; 5.5%], and C. parapsilosis [n = 11/308; 3.6%]) from 112 patients distributed as incident (n = 125/308) and sequential (n = 183/308). Per patient resistance rates of fluconazole (13.4% [15/112] vs. 8% [9/112]); 5.4% proportions difference (95% CI, −2.7% to 13.5%, p 0.09) and echinocandins (8.9% [10/112] vs. 1.8% [2/112]); 7.1% proportions difference (95% CI; 1.2–12.9%; p 0.01) were higher when considering all available isolates than only incident isolates. Resistance was detected in 18 of 112 patients and would have been overlooked in 11 of 18 (61.1%) patients if only incident isolates had been studied. Of the patients who harboured fluconazole or echinocandin-resistant isolates, 14 of 15 and 8 of 10 had received or were receiving fluconazole or echinocandins, respectively. DiscussionTesting sequential Candida isolates from intra-abdominal samples is required to detect antifungal resistance, particularly to echinocandins, in patients whose incident isolates turned out to be susceptible. Furthermore, patients with echinocandin-resistant infections had frequently used echinocandins and had common secondary resistance acquisition.

Effect of synthetic analogue of ZP<sup>2</sup> peptide, an active center of GM-CSF, upon antilysozyme activity of <i>Candida</i>

Our aim was to analyze the effects of the ZP2 peptide, a synthetic analogue of active center of GM-CSF, upon antilysozyme activity (ALA) of Candida.
 32 vaginal isolates of Candida spp were used in the work. Five species have been isolated from the vaginal secretions of the conditionally healthy pregnant women taken within a screening program. To study the effect of ZP2 on the ALA of the Candida fungi, the fungal cells were co-cultured with a ZP2 solution in Saburo broth medium at 37 oC for 24 hours. Thereafter, ALA of fungi was determined by photometric method.
 It was found that the ZP2 peptide caused a decreased expression of ALA of vaginal Candida spp. Isolates, i.e., loss of ALA in the isolates of C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. krusei and some isolates of C. albicans, as well as a decreased level of ALA in C. kefir and other C. albicans isolates. Thus, the synthetic analogue of ZP2 peptide (active center of GM-CSF) showed an inhibitory effect upon the antilysozyme activity of Candida.

Exploring the potential of eco-friendly silver nanoparticles to inhibit azole-resistant clinical isolates of Candida spp.

The antimicrobial activity and biological efficiency of silver nanoparticles (AgNps) have been widely described and can be modeled through stabilizing and reducing agents, especially if they exhibit biocidal properties, which can enhance bioactivity against pathogens. The selective action of AgNps remains a major concern. In this regard, the use of plant extracts for the green synthesis of nanoparticles offers advantages because it improves the toxicity of Nps for microorganisms and is harmless to normal cells. However, biological evaluations of the activity of AgNps synthesized using different reducing agents are determined independently, and comparisons are frequently overlooked. Thus, we investigated and compared the antifungal and cytotoxic effects of two ecological AgNps synthesized from Moringa oleifera aqueous leaf extract (AgNp-M) and glucose (AgNp-G) against azole-resistant clinical isolates of Candida spp. and nontumor mammalian cells. Synthesized AgNps exhibited an antifungal effect on planktonic cells of drug-resistant C. albicans and C. tropicalis (MIC 0.21–52.6 µg/mL). The toxicity was influenced by size. However, the use of M. oleifera extracts allows us to obtain AgNps that are highly selective and nongenotoxic to Vero cells due to modifications of the shape and surface. Therefore, these results suggest that AgNp-M has antimicrobial potential and deserves further investigation for biomedical applications.

Smoothie Drinks: Possible Source of Resistant and Biofilm-Forming Microorganisms.

Smoothie drinks are currently very popular drinks sold especially in fast food establishments. However, smoothies are a significant source of microorganisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of smoothies purchased in Eastern Bohemia. A higher prevalence of mesophilic aerobic bacteria (5.4-7.2 log CFU/mL), yeast (4.4-5.9 log CFU/mL) and coliform bacteria (3.1-6.0 log CFU/mL) was observed in vegetable smoothies, in which even the occurrence of enterococci (1.6-3.3 log CFU/mL) was observed. However, the occurrence of S. aureus, Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp. was not observed in any samples. Nevertheless, antimicrobial resistance was observed in 71.8% of the isolated strains. The highest level of resistance was found in isolates from smoothie drinks with predominantly vegetable contents (green smoothie drinks). Considerable resistance was observed in Gram-negative rods, especially to amoxicillin (82.2%) and amoxicillin with clavulanic acid (55.6%). Among enterococci, only one vancomycin-resistant strain was detected. The vast majority of isolated strains were able to form biofilms at a significant level, which increases the clinical importance of these microorganisms. The highest biofilm production was found in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Kocuria kristinae and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Overall, significant biofilm production was also noted among isolates of Candida spp.

"In vivo" and "in vitro" antimicrobial activity of Origanum vulgare essential oil and its two phenolic compounds on clinical isolates of Candida spp.

A limited therapeutic arsenal is currently available against Candida infections that show high resistance to antifungal agents. For this reason, there is a great need to prioritize testing therapeutic agents for the treatment of candidiasis. The use of essential oils and their phytoconstituents has been emphasized as a new therapeutic approach. The cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), polysaccharide content, antimicrobial activity of essential oil from Origanum vulgare L. (OVEO), and its two phenolic compounds carvacrol and thymol were evaluated in four different Candida spp. (Candida albicans and emerging non-albicans Candida (NAC) species, such as C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, and C. krusei). The results showed the differences between Candida species; for example, C. tropicalis revealed higher resistance than other strains to different natural molecule treatments. The ultrastructural variabilities in the biomembranes and cell walls of these Candida spp. might explain the different biological effects observed after OVEO, carvacrol and thymol treatments. Therefore, to study the biological effects of these natural compounds on Candida strains, the samples were observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, the release of cellular materials and their "in vivo" antimicrobial activity on infected G. mellonella larvae were evaluated. The novelty of this study is the demonstration that exists a close correlation between both structural architecture of cell walls and biomembranes' organization with cell fungal responses to essential oils treatments. Overall, these results suggest practical limits to the predictability.

Chimeric Peptides Derived from Bovine Lactoferricin and Buforin II: Antifungal Activity against Reference Strains and Clinical Isolates of Candida spp.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered to be a valuable source for the identification and/or design of promising candidates for the development of antifungal treatments, since they have advantages such as lower tendency to induce resistance, ease of production, and high purity and safety. Bovine lactoferricin (LfcinB) and buforin II (BFII) are AMPs to which great antimicrobial potential has been attributed. The minimum motives with antimicrobial activity derived from LfcinB and BFII are RRWQWR and RLLR, respectively. Nine chimeras containing the minimum motives of both peptides were synthesized and their antifungal activity against fluconazole (FLC)-sensitive and resistant C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. auris strains was evaluated. The results showed that peptides C9: (RRWQWR)2K-Ahx-RLLRRRLLR and C6: KKWQWK-Ahx-RLLRRLLR exhibited the greatest antifungal activity against two strains of C. albicans, a FLC-sensitive reference strain and a FLC-resistant clinical isolate; no medically significant results were observed with the other chimeras evaluated (MIC ~200 µg/mL). The chimera C6 was also active against sensitive and resistant strains of C. glabrata and C. auris. The combination of branched polyvalent chimeras together with FLC showed a synergistic effect against C. albicans. In addition to exhibiting antifungal activity against reference strains and clinical isolates of Candida spp., they also showed antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, suggesting that these chimeras exhibit a broad antimicrobial spectrum and can be considered to be promising molecules for therapeutic applications.

Fluconazole-resistant Candida parapsilosis: A new emerging threat in the fungi arena.

Candida parapsilosis is a leading cause of invasive candidiasis in southern Europe, Latin America and Asia. C. parapsilosis has been mostly considered susceptible to triazoles, but fluconazole resistance is on the rise in some countries. The main mechanism related to fluconazole resistance is the presence of ERG11p substitutions, dominated by the Y132F amino acid substitution. Isolates harbouring this substitution mimic C. auris given that they may cause hospital outbreaks, become endemic, and emerge simultaneously in distant areas around the world. At the moment, Spain is experiencing a brusque emergence of fluconazole resistance in C. parapsilosis; isolates harbouring the Y132F substitution were detected for the first time in 2019.A recent study on Candida spp isolates from blood cultures collected in 16 hospitals located in the Madrid metropolitan area (2019 to 2021) reported that fluconazole resistance in C. parapsilosis reached as high as 13.6%. Resistance rates rose significantly during those three years: 3.8% in 2019, 5.7% in 2020, and 29.1% in 2021; resistant isolates harboured either the dominant Y132F substitution (a single clone found in four hospitals) or G458S (another clone found in a fifth hospital). The COVID-19 pandemic may have increased the number of candidaemia cases. The reason for such an increase might be a consequence of uncontrolled intra-hospital patient-to-patient transmission in some hospitals, as an increase not only in C. parapsilosis candidaemia episodes but also in the spread of clonal fluconazole-resistant isolates might have occurred in other hospitals during the pandemic period. Patients affected with fluconazole-resistant C. parapsilosis harbouring the Y132F substitution presented a mortality rate ranging from 9% to 78%, were mainly admitted to intensive care wards but did not have differential risk factors compared to those infected by susceptible isolates. With scarce exceptions, few patients (≤20%) infected with fluconazole-resistant isolates had previously received fluconazole, thus supporting the fact that, although fluconazole might have been a key factor to promote resistance, the main driver promoting the spread of fluconazole-resistant isolates was patient-to-patient transmission.

Antifungal potential of isoespintanol extracted from Oxandra xylopioides diels (Annonaceae) against intrahospital isolations of Candida SPP

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of isoespintanol (ISO) extracted from Oxandra xylopioides Diels (Annonaceae) against clinical isolates of Candida spp. Isoespintanol was obtained from the petroleum benzine extract of the leaves and was identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS). For antifungal activity experiments, the broth microdilution method was used. The results show an inhibitory effect against Candida spp., with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values between 450.4–503.3 μg/mL. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of ISO against fungal biofilms is highlighted, even in some cases, greater than the effect shown by amphotericin B (AFB) and in others, where AFB showed no effect. Assays with fluorescent staining with acridine orange (AO) and ethidium bromide (EB), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Evans blue, measurement of extracellular pH and leakage of intracellular material, evidenced damage at the level of fungal membranes and general cell damage, when cells were exposed to ISO, compared to untreated cells. The results of this research, serve as the basis for future studies in the establishment of the mechanisms of antifungal action of ISO, which could serve as an adjunct in the treatment of infections by these yeasts.

A complete clinico-epidemiological and microbiological profile of candidemia cases in a tertiary-care hospital in Western India.

To identify different Candida spp along with antifungal susceptibility pattern and risk factors associated with candidemia. This retrospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary-care academic hospital in Jaipur, Western India, for 3 years (July 2017-June 2020). Blood cultures were performed according to standard microbiological methods, and only 1 isolate per patient was included in the study. Isolates of Candida spp were identified using a VITEK-2 automated system and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Antifungal susceptibility tests were performed using the broth microdilution assay according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Of 3,443 blood cultures received from suspected sepsis cases, candidemia was identified in 95 (2.8%). In addition to Candida tropicalis (n = 36; 38%) and Candida parapsilosis (n = 17; 18%), 10 isolates of Candida auris comprised the fourth most common cause of candidemia. Presence of central venous catheter and diabetes were statistically significant risk factors for development of candidemia by NAC. Resistance to fluconazole was 36%, resistance to voriconazole was 20%, resistance to 5-flucytosine was 4%, and resistance to amphotericin-B was 7%. C. auris isolates were more resistant than other NAC spp. We detected no resistance among the echinocandins. The emergence of highly resistant isolates like C. auris emphasizes the need for constant monitoring of candidemia cases for species identification and routine antifungal susceptibility so that appropriate measures can be taken to reduce the related morbidity and mortality.

DNA SEQUENCING OF NOVEL YEAST ISOLATED FROM BLOODSTREAM INFECTIONS IN AL-NAJAF PROVINCE.

The aim: To identify of fungal isolates using PCR techniques with universal primer (ITS1-ITS4 and ITS3-ITS4). A total of 533 blood samples from cancer patients, renal failure patients and patients who underwent cardiac catheterization have been included in this study. Materials and methods: Devices and tools were used to preceding the study as shown in table (I), while biological and chemical materials are given in table (II). Results: Three groups, 44 isolates of Candida spp were isolated: 35(79.6%) isolates from cancer patients, 6(13.6%) isolates from patients with renal failure, and 3 (6.8%) isolates from patients with cardiac catheterization. These yeasts were diagnosed by conventional methods and by CHROMagar Candida medium, as well as by molecular methods to detect the regions of ITS2, ITS1, and the isolates were diagnosed as belonging to the yeast Candida spp. These isolates were also diagnosed using DNA sequencing detection technology and 12 new strains were recorded for the first time In the name of the researcher by the Japan Gene Bank. Conclusions: It was concluded that there was high susceptibility of the polymerase chain reaction technique based on ITS 1, ITS2 primers in diagnosing the types of yeasts isolated from the bloodstream with high accuracy and speed compared to other traditional methods. Therefore, the DNA sequencing method is considered one of the best rapid standard methods for the diagnosis of fungi.

Phytochemical screening and antifungal activity in vitro of Trichilia hirta L. fruit extracts against clinical isolates of Candida spp.

The increase in resistance to antimicrobials is a public health problem worldwide; it puts at risk the prevention and effective treatment of multiple infections and is responsible for high rates of mortality and morbidity in hospitalized patients. Species of the genus Candida are among the main opportunistic pathogens isolated from hospitalized patients. The aim was to evaluate the antifungal activity of extracts obtained from Trichilia hirta fruits against clinical isolates of Candida spp. Extracts were obtained by Soxhlet and cold maceration methods using T. hirta fruits. Preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out to identify the presence of secondary metabolites. Antifungal activity of ethanol and petroleum benzene extracts of T. hirta was evaluated using microdilution and agar well diffusion methods. Kruskal-Wallis test was performed, with the application of contrast tests. The extracts showed secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins and saponins, steroids and/or triterpenoids. Seed extract in petroleum ether and ethanol inhibited the growth of the clinical isolates of Candida spp., and the strain C. albicans ATCC 10231 in all concentrations. Ethanolic seed extract had an inhibitory effect on the largest number of isolates studied, generating maximum inhibition in C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and strain C. albicans ATCC 10231. Seed extract in petroleum ether showed the highest growth inhibition of C. tropicalis, C. haemulonii, and C. krusei. Extracts of T. hirta may be a promising source of antifungal compounds with the potential to be used in future research and the pharmacological industry.

Activity of antifungal drugs and Brazilian red and green propolis extracted with different methodologies against oral isolates of Candida spp.

BackgroundOral candidiasis is an opportunistic disease caused by fungi of the Candida genus. The occurrence of Candida spp. resistance to the commercial antifungal drugs points to the search for alternative treatments. Propolis has been successfully used in the treatment of infectious diseases for centuries. It has been proposed that an ultrasound pretreatment in the propolis extraction protocol can enhance the concentrations of molecules with antimicrobial activities in the final extract. Thus, this study aimed to compare the antifungal activity against oral Candida spp. isolates of green and red propolis extracts submitted or not to an ultrasound pretreatment before the extraction procedure.MethodsCandida spp. were isolated from denture stomatitis lesions and identified by sequencing. Oral Candida spp. isolates and reference strains were submitted to broth microdilution assays using commercial antifungals and Brazilian green and red propolis extracts submitted or not to an ultrasound pretreatment. Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) and Minimal Fungicide Concentrations (MFC) were determined and biofilm formation interference was evaluated for resistant isolates.ResultsC. albicans, Candida tropicalis and Candida dubliniensis were isolated from denture stomatitis lesions. Growth inhibition was observed in all Candida isolates incubated with all green and red propolis extracts. At lower doses, red propolis extracts presented significant antifungal activity. The ultrasound pretreatment did not promote an increase in the antifungal activity of green or red propolis. Three isolates, which were highly resistant to fluconazole and itraconazole, were susceptible to low doses of red propolis extracts. These same three specimens had their biofilm formation inhibted by red propolis ethanolic extract.ConclusionsThus, red propolis can be faced as a promising natural product to be used in the auxiliary antifungal therapy of denture stomatitis.

Probiotic Potential, Safety Properties, and Antifungal Activities of Corynebacterium amycolatum ICIS 9 and Corynebacterium amycolatum ICIS 53 Strains.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the probiotic characteristics and safety and to study the antifungal activity of C. amycolatum ICIS 9 and C. amycolatum ICIS 53 against Candida spp. The probiotic potential and safety properties were assessed by standard parameters. Both strains showed good survival at pH 3 for 3h and high tolerance to 0.3% bile salts after 4h of incubation. The indicators of hydrophobicity, autoaggregation, and surface tension for ICIS 9 were 89.43% (n-hexane) and 73.96% (xylene) and ranged from 13.13 to 39.86% and 34.27 mN/m, respectively. For ICIS 53, they were 59.95% (n-hexane) and 45.68% (xylene), from 35.58 to 51.53% and 32.40 mN/m, respectively. The strains ICIS 9 and ICIS 53 exhibited varying levels of coaggregation with all eight examined bacterial pathogens. The ICIS 9 strain was resistant to amikacin, amoxicillin, clarithromycin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, and gentamycin. ICIS 53 was resistant only to ciprofloxacin. The cell-free supernatant of strains ICIS 9 and ICIS 53 showed good antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against 10 pathogenic vaginal and intestinal isolates of Candida spp. The CFS of ICIS 9 was more active against intestinal isolates, and the CFS of ICIS 53 showed good antimicrobial activity against vaginal isolates while inhibiting the growth of 2 out of 5 Candida spp. isolated from the intestine. Both of the strains were capable of reducing the biofilm formation of Candida fungi. In the case of the vaginal isolates of C. krusei V1, the results showed that the inhibition levels of ICIS 9 and ICIS 53 were 36.75 and 11.4%, respectively. In the case of C. albicans (V2, V3, V7, and V8), the inhibition of biofilm formation was no more than 7.07%. ICIS 9 and ICIS 53 also significantly inhibited biofilm formation of C. krusei 2613 intestinal isolates by 42.75 and 41.87%, respectively, with ICIS 9 inhibiting biofilm formation of C. albicans (2607, 2311, 2615, and 2615) from 3.38 to 15.69% and ICIS 53 from 5.95 to 23.48%. None of the strains showed DNase, haemolytic, or gelatinase activities. The results obtained revealed that ICIS 9 and ICIS 53 have safe properties and have the potential to be developed as probiotics.

Active Flavonoids from Colubrina greggii var. greggii S. Watson against Clinical Isolates of Candida spp.

Candida albicans is the most commonly implicated agent in invasive human fungal infections. The disease could be presented as minimal symptomatic candidemia or can be fulminant sepsis. Candidemia is associated with a high rate of mortality and high healthcare and hospitalization costs. The surveillance programs have reported the distribution of other Candida species reflecting the trends and antifungal susceptibilities. Previous studies have demonstrated that C. glabrata more frequently presents fluconazole-resistant strains. Extracts from Mexican plants have been reported with activity against pulmonary mycosis, among them Colubrina greggii. In the present study, extracts from the aerial parts (leaves, flowers, and fruits) of this plant were evaluated against clinical isolates of several species of Candida (C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, and C. tropicalis) by the broth microdilution assay. Through bioassay-guided fractionation, three antifungal glycosylated flavonoids were isolated and characterized. The isolated compounds showed antifungal activity only against C. glabrata resistant to fluconazole, and were non-toxic toward brine shrimp lethality bioassay and in vitro Vero cell line assay. The ethyl acetate and butanol extracts, as well as the fractions containing the mixture of flavonoids, were more active against Candida spp.

Isolation and Identification of different local isolates of Candida spp. By biochemical tests

Study included, 10 local isolates were obtained from 25 isolates of Candida spp. From patients infected with Candidiasis in hospitals of Mosul city. The phenotypic, microscopic diagnosis and biochemical tests found the isolates were identified as Candida sp. Local isolates were tested for resistance to 8 different antibiotics and 6 heavy metal salts. All isolates were resistant to most antibiotics with ratio 100%, except for the antibiotic nystatin (Nys), where all isolates showed sensitivity in the ratio 100%. also The isolates showed sensitivity to four of the heavy metals salts in different proportions, while they were resistant to zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and lead acetate Pb (CH3COO) 2 with ratio 100%.

Candida biofilm - A medical havoc: Prospective study among the patients in tertiary health care centre in North India

Objective of this study is to know the incidence of biofilm formation by isolates of Candida spp among the patients attending Tertiary health care Superspeciality centre in Lucknow. Material and Methods: A prospective study conducted among patients attending Out-patient department and admitted to In-patient department, and Intensive care unit during the period between January 1st and December 31st 2017. Different samples like endotracheal secretion, urine, blood and pus were collected under sterile conditions and standard fungal tests were performed for identification and appropriate statistical methods were employed to look for association between biofilm and Candida species. Results: Out of the 216 samples included in the study from various departments, 80 samples showed evidence of Candida infections yielding an infection rate of 37%. Among the 99 isolates (32 Candida albicans and 67 Non albicans Candida) subjected for biofilm production, 52 (52.5%) were positive. Conclusion: Non albicans Candida infection has drastically increased in healthcare centres. Biofilms have significant role in the perpetuation of these infections and antifungal resistance primarily with respect to their ability to adhere to various medical devices. Regular monitoring on the sensitivity and biofilm formation will be helpful in optimising therapy and outcome. Keywords: Candida Spp, Biofilms, Microtitre Plate Method.

Atividade antifúngica do extrato etanólico de própolis vermelha contra isolados patogênicos de Candida spp.

A busca por novas substâncias antifúngicas se faz necessária, devido ao aumento de casos de infecções fúngicas nos últimos anos, associado ao aparecimento de cepas resistentes aos tratamentos convencionais e efeitos adversos observados durante as terapias farmacológicas. Dentre estas infecções, destacam-se as candidíases, como uma das mais comuns a acometerem os seres humanos. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar o potencial antifúngico do extrato etanólico de própolis vermelha contra isolados patogênicos de Candida spp. A determinação da Concentração Inibitória Mínima (CIM) foi realizada pela técnica de microdiluição, em placas de 96 cavidades, na qual verificou-se a sensibilidade de cepas de Candida spp. a concentrações do extrato de própolis numa variação de 15.000 µg/mL a 29,3 µg/mL. Os valores de CIM foram determinados pela análise visual da inibição do crescimento. Em seguida, adicionou-se cloreto de trifeniltetrazólio (TTC) para determinação da Concentração Fungicida Mínima (CFM). Todos os experimentos foram feitos em triplicata. A CIM encontrada variou de 234,4 µg/mL a 937,5 µg/mL, sendo a espécie C. albicans, a mais sensível entre as testadas. Observou-se que a CFM foi idêntica a CIM. A partir destes resultados, conclui-se que o extrato etanólico de própolis vermelha apresentou moderada atividade antifúngica sobre a maioria das cepas de Candida spp., ratificando-se seu uso tradicional quanto a suas propriedades antimicrobianas, as quais podem ser melhor exploradas através de futuros estudos pré-clínicos e clínicos.